James ‘Jazza’ Dickens revives career with upset of Zelfa Barrett

MANCHESTER, England – James “Jazza” Dickens made a statement to his junior-lightweight rivals by defeating the former title challenger Zelfa Barrett via unanimous decision at Manchester’s Co-op Live.

It had been doubted whether Dickens, 35-5 (14 KOs), had enough left at the age of 33 to test the younger and fresher Barrett, 31-3 (17 KOs), but he impressed in earning scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94.

Dickens started the contest on the front foot and landed his southpaw left hand to Barrett’s midsection. The taller Barrett, 31, continued to observe the complex puzzle of Dickens from the backfoot, firing in his jab while Dickens again targeted his body.

The third started in a similar pattern until a right hook from Dickens that caused Barrett to stumble back invigorated it as a contest. Barrett shook his head to try and indicate that the shot had not hurt him and powered ahead. He landed his right uppercut as well as a left hook, but Dickens again was able to score another hook before the close of the round.

Barrett was struggling with Dickens’ movement from the southpaw stance again in the fourth, and a left hand again caused him to stumble backwards. Barrett again responded well, landing two shots to the body before the session came to a close. The fifth and sixth were competitive; Barrett landed the harder, more eye-catching shots; Dickens’ had the greater output.

The seventh involved some of the more entertaining action. Dickens landed a well-placed overhand left, followed by a right that seemed to hurt Barrett. Again Barrett shook his head in response – which normally signals that a fighter is hurt – and he landed a left hand of his own before the end of the round.

Dickens, similarly, again impressed in the eighth. Barrett just couldn’t cope with his movement, and Dickens landed another crisp left hand before the sound of the bell.

Barrett sensed that the fight was slipping away from him and pushed for the knockout in the ninth round. He landed some heavy shots to the body of Dickens but still was unable to pin down the slick southpaw. Dickens finished the round well, by slipping shots and returning fire.

Heading into the 10th and final round Barrett needed something dramatic to change it as a contest. He pushed forwards but again Dickens had an answer for everything that came his way. The movement and variety from Dickens was just too much for Barrett, and Dickens finished the round on top. At the sound of the final bell, Barrett looked dejected, like he knew what was about to come.

Dickens, in contrast, was confident that he had done enough, and the judges ultimately proved in agreement.

Amateur ace Conner Tudsbury had by then made an emphatic start to his professional career against Sadaam Moamed Da Silva Caetano (7-6, 5 KOs). Tudsbury, 1-0 (1 KO), used his punching power to push the helpless Caetano around the ring. In the second, Tudsbury landed the telling blow – a right hand that sent his opponent sprawling to the canvas. Caetano returned to his feet but the referee Darren Sarginson saved him from a further beating and waved the action off at 2:01 of the second one.

The junior middleweight William Crolla, the younger brother of the former lightweight champion Anthony, recorded another win inside the distance against Ayoub Zakari. Crolla, 7-0 (6 KOs), hurt Zakari, 5-8-1, with a right hook, then pressed the stumbling Zakari further, with the referee Michael Alexander calling a halt to the contest at 2:43 of round one.

Aquib Fiaz, 13-1, made a successful return from a 16-month absence due to issues outside of the ring when defeating Lydon Chircop, 7-3 (4 KOs). Fiaz, boxing up at lightweight, scored only the second stoppage of his professional career when the referee Darren Sarginson waved the action off after two minutes of round two.

Alfie Middlemiss, 2-0, opened the night with victory over Caine Singh, 1-6-2. The young featherweight, trained by Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, used his superior skills to outpoint Singh via a score of 40-37.